Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander celebrates after scoring against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 23, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio.Jay Laprete/The Associated Press
After months of negotiations, the Toronto Maple Leafs backed up the Brink’s truck on Monday and signed William Nylander to the largest contract in franchise history.
The 27-year-old winger, who would have become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, agreed to an eight-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of US$11.5-million.
The total sum of US$92-million will not break the bank for the club with the deepest pockets in the National Hockey League, but it will take some accounting gymnastics to re-sign other players. The NHL limits teams to paying out US$83.5-million in salaries.
Between them, Toronto’s five biggest stars – Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly – will earn 60 per cent of the club’s entire salary cap for next year.
Nylander’s contract also contains a no-movement clause, which means the organization would have to get the player’s permission if it ever wanted to trade him.
Nylander smiled as he took the ice at the club’s practice facility in Etobicoke on Monday and his teammates invited him to lead their stretching exercises from the centre of a circle. They also tapped their sticks in appreciation for him.
“It has been a process from the summer so it is nice that it is done and I know where I am going to stay for the next eight years,” the US$92-million man said afterward. “It is a very special feeling.
“This has been home for me. It is the longest I have ever stayed in one place for my entire life.”
Nylander is of Swedish descent but was born in Calgary while his father, Michael, played for the Flames.
Toronto general manager Brad Treliving and Nylander’s agent Lewis Gross began discussions in the summer. Both parties said from early on that they wanted to get a deal consummated. Nylander was only marginally involved until the end.
“There are some really good players here,” Treliving said. “They are hard to get and hard to keep and when you have them you try to hold onto them. I think it is a real good day for us.
“We are excited to get him signed. He is a top player and I feel he is entering the prime of his career. When he is at his best there are very few better than him in the league.
The team’s previous largest contract was the seven-year, US$77-million deal worked out between Kyle Dubas and Tavares in 2018. The highest-paid players in the league at this point are Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado and Connor McDavid of Edmonton at US$12.6-million and US$12.5-million in annual salary respectively. Matthews signed a four-year extension that takes effect in 2024-25 that will pay him an AAV of US$13.25-million for four years.
William Nylander agreed on Jan. 8 to an eight-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth US$92-million. It is the largest contract in Maple Leafs history by total value and includes a no-movement clause.
The Canadian Press
A first-round draft pick in 2014, Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 54 points through 37 games and is second on the team in goals with 21. Matthews is first in the league in that category with 30.
Nylander began the 2023-24 campaign by accruing points in each of the first 17 games, the longest such streak at the start of a season in club history. He had four goals in three road games last week, including two in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks.
After that game he said it would be a dream to stay in Toronto. Now he is. On Monday morning his teammates received the good news.
“We are all thrilled for him and thrilled for the organization,” Tavares said. “It has been pretty spectacular the way he has evolved. I think he is built to play here and there is still tremendous room for growth.
“I don’t think I know anyone who has confidence quite like him.”
The Maple Leafs play the Sharks again on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena, where Nylander could receive a mixed reception when he takes the ice. Some fans remain angry at him for holding out in 2018 for six years and US$45-million. That contract left him underpaid at this point by NHL standards.
Nylander has always been a good offensive player who had occasional lapses on defence and seemed to lack motivation. He has put together career-best seasons in each of the previous two years and is ahead of last year’s pace now. He had 40 goals and 87 points in 2022-23 and has registered a point in a league-leading 33 of 37 games.
Over his career he has 198 goals and 484 points in 558 regular-season games and 17 goals and 40 points in 50 playoff games.
“There was never a point where I thought we weren’t going to get to the finish line,” Treliving said. “It’s a big contract. It’s a lot of money.
“My message to him is that he doesn’t have to change anything. But the old adage is that to whom much is given, much is expected.”